November is a time for remembering - remembering those who have died: those who have given their lives for the sake of their Christian beliefs, those whom we have loved and lost and now rest in the peace of Christ and those who sacrificed their lives in war

We remember these men and women on three separate occasions: All Saints Day, All Souls Day and Remembrance Sunday

Each has their very own significance, different to the others.

The Saints give us the example of how to live our lives in the light of the Gospel, by giving our life to Christ in the service of others; our departed loved ones hold a very special place in our lives, having been part of a relationship which can never be replaced and the lives young men and women were cut short in order to keep us free from oppression.

Each, although separate, share a significant link with Jesus Christ. He too, like the Saints, showed us the exemplary way of how to live our lives, by his example and his teaching; he too, like our loved ones, forms a special bond with us which is unique and he too, like the name on a war grave, gave his life for us to set us free.

It is therefore fitting that we remember Christ too in November - it is the month in which we celebrate the feast of Christ the King.

We as Christians do believe that Christ, as King, has conquered death. When he died on the cross that Good Friday and rose from the dead on Easter Day, death became just a medium through which we pass in order to enjoy a new life. A life that has no tears, no pain and no end – a life of ultimate perfection with God.

So when we remember this month, all those who have died: the Saints, our departed loved ones and those who died as a result of war, let us not only mourn their loss of the old life, but also rejoice in their new found life with God. A life that we, by the special request of Christ the King, are all invited to share.